Technology evolves at an incredibly rapid pace, which is what makes it particularly easy for people to get lost when it comes to technology. New devices mean new interfaces, new GUIs and new programs that may be less straightforward than they would seem.

If you aren’t as tech savvy as you would like, then don’t feel bad. One study found that even millennials, who have grown up using certain technologies, aren’t as tech savvy as you might think.

The good news is that there’s hope if you feel like you’re one of those less-than-tech-savvy people.

Let’s explore four methods that can help you boost your knowledge about technology, and prepare yourself for new technology before it is even drafted.

Read the Instructions

The first step to any technical difficulty is to resort to the age-old instruction manual.

While paper manuals have become increasingly simplified due to the cost of paper and packaging constraints, digital instructions for most devices tend to be available online. These may range from simple operational usage to in-depth documentation concerning how a given item interacts with other items.

By reading these instructions, you can start learning the basics about any technology.

Practice Using Different Devices

Technology is an interesting concept. It tends to evolve in ways that feel natural for humans to use, even if the things devices do are artificial.

This means that one device will work similarly to other devices, and that devices with a certain purpose will behave similarly. Smart phones with touch screens, for example, generally allow you to tap on them to select a given option.

What you may not realize is that they also tend to support dragging items to reposition them, and dragging your pointing device in the shape of certain gestures to bring up different screens.

By practicing with a variety of devices, you can learn many of the intricate details that will make you tech savvy.

Get an Education

If you feel like you’re at a strange spot between knowing nothing about technology and having a mastery over it, then a proper education may be ideal for you.

By receiving an education such as an online master’s degree in computer science, you will fill in the missing areas of your knowledge. This will enable you to understand how and why certain parts of technology behave the way they do.

Get Technical

Being tech savvy requires you to do more than to just read the manual. You must take the knowledge you have, then expand upon it

Technical knowledge requires an intimate understanding of how devices work. This is why people like computer programmers and electrical engineers tend to have a significantly better understanding of how to use technology and explain it to others.

When you’re ready to reach the pinnacle of the tech savvy world, then become technical. Develop software, contribute to tech-related discussions, maintain a tech blog, and do anything else you can to take your knowledge further.

Becoming Tech Savvy Has Serious Benefits

While it’s a big challenge to develop a better understanding of technology and the complicated nature of how different technologies mesh together, the results are almost always worth the effort.

When you become sufficiently experienced with technology, you will open new worlds to yourself. You will also be more valuable to your friends, family, work and, depending upon your career choices, the rest of the world.

Freelance writer and web enthusiast, Anica loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty.